The Girl Assassin

Chapter Three| Annabeth Learns Trouble

Annabeth woke up. Sun light flittered through leaves which felt foreign to her. She looked to her left and saw Jason sleeping peacefully. She put a hand on her head and felt tangles. She groaned quietly.

Jason shrugged. He moved his hands to his head.

Annabeth froze. Not with fear, but with dread. What if he saw me? she thought.

Annabeth got up and ran to find a creek to wash in. Thankfully, she did and it was meowing to life.

Annabeth dunked her head in and ran her fingers through it, smoothing the tangles out.

Why hadn't she brought her brush?

Refreshed and cleaned, Annabeth went back to retrieve her bow and daggers. She attached the daggers to her belt and slung her bow over her shoulder. She would hunt for breakfast.

Birds started their morning with chirping. Annabeth imagined that the birds were discussing news like her father did with the townsfolk.

Dad.

That one word almost made her cry. She missed him so much. I wonder what he is thinking right now? She thought solemnly. Just yesterday she left him.

Her home, Misty Hills, was a small, quiet village. The main crop was oats and sheep were the main animal with over two hundred. There were about twenty cows in the entire village, so not that much cow milk but lots of sheep milk.

Sheep milk was okay, but the rich, soothing texture and taste of cow's milk was better.

Anyway, Annabeth shot a volley of arrows straight at a tree. A squirrel was caught in the circle of arrows. The squirrel gave a squeak and fell dead. Annabeth grabbed it's thin but bushy tail.

She walked back to the camp and dropped the squirrel on a log. Jason was still asleep. His black hair was ruffled and tangled. Annabeth watched him for a moment and walked back into the trees.

Annabeth thought to herself. Jason looked younger when he slept and he was kind of cute. She pushed the thoughts aside.

Hunt. Food.

Those words instructed her to survive. Annabeth saw a deer. She nocked an arrow and let it fly. The arrow pierced the deer's neck. Another in the eye.

She brought out her knife and hacked off the head, along with the heart, liver, and several other vital organs. She dragged the rest of the meat back to the camp.

Jason looked up. His face was a mixture of awe, fear, and love.

"You caught this yourself?" he asked, somewhat perplexed.

"Well, I cut off the head and some other things. So it's fairly light." Annabeth replied.

"Uh, good job, I guess." Jason mumbled.

Annabeth cut a few strips off and handed it to Jason. He rolled a rock onto the fire and laid the strips on the rock. A sizzling sound came into being as the meat started to cook.

Annabeth cut more off and put them on the rock. Already the cooked ones were being ripped of the rock and placed on leaves to cool. Some thyme and other herbs were mixed with the leaves to give the meat some sort of flavor.

Jason tended the fire. It blazed up, warming the damp, spring morning though almost frying their eyebrows off.

Annabeth grinned. It almost felt like home. Another pang of homesickness depressed her. She crawled to Jason and leaned against him. They sat there till some of the meat turned black.

"Whoops!" Jason exclaimed.

Annabeth laughed nervously.

She went back to cutting chunks off. The deer carcass was almost finished off by mid-morning.

Annabeth dragged the severely lightened body to drop in the woods. A catjay meowed the quiet morning.

Annabeth looked at it and put two fingers to her lips and pushed them away. It was a sign of friendship.

Catjay's were the hybrids of a blue-jay and a catbird, a type of mockingbird. They sound like a cat meowing.

Annabeth dumped the carcass and ran back. Jason was wrapping the meat up in leaves and folding them into a leather bag they bought in Anaheim.

"What are we doing today?" Annabeth asked.

Jason looked at her blankly. "Well, first off, we're going to sell some of the meat. Then look for work." He said.

Annabeth nodded.

They packed up in a matter of minutes and set off for Leagiba.